Arizona Summit Law School told to create financial safety net for students as precaution

Arizona Summit Law School, a private Phoenix school, was put on probation by the American Bar Association for low Bar-exam passage rates.
Wochit

Move comes after the school was put on probation by the American Bar Association. School officials say there are no plans to close.

Arizona Summit Law School, formerly known as the Phoenix School of Law, was founded in 2004. It once had as many as 1,000 students as it admitted more students with lower Law School Admission Test scores.(Photo: Tom Tingle/The Republic)

"It's just to protect the public, just in case," said Keith Blanchard, the board's deputy directory.

Arizona Summit officials said the school has no plans to close and is preparing for its incoming fall classes.

School argues against bond

The board requested the bond because the school was recently put on probation for low passage rates on the State Bar exam. The institution's sister school under the same ownership, the Charlotte School of Law, is also on probation by the Bar. The U.S. Department of Education announced in December it was pulling Charlotte's federal student-loan funding.

Arizona Summit officials argued before the board that the bond wasn't necessary and would send a negative message to prospective students.

Marcedes Hurd, 25, (black sweater) and other students work in the Criminal Practice and Writing II class at Arizona Summit Law School in downtown Phoenix, buckle down Tuesday, February 28, 2017. Tom Tingle/The Republic

Second-year student Myra Edwards, Chicago, Illinois, talks in the law library about her experiences at Arizona Summit Law School in downtown Phoenix, Tuesday, February 28, 2017. Tom Tingle/The Republic

Arizona Summit Law School, formerly known as the Phoenix School of Law, was founded in 2004. It once had as many as 1,000 students as it admitted more students with lower Law School Admission Test scores. Tom Tingle/The Republic

Bar passage rates

Blanchard said the board, which licenses for-profit colleges, universities and vocational schools in Arizona, began monitoring Arizona Summit last year after its passage rates on the State Bar exam fell over a couple of testing cycles.

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In addition to the law school's low passage rates, the American Bar Association put it on probation in March for being out of compliance on admission practices, academic standards and student support.

Bar officials directed the school to develop an improvement plan and will review the school's admissions data and the overall rigor of the program.

Earlier this month, Arizona Summit saw its first-time passage rate improve on the latest round of the State Bar exam but is still struggling to get above 30 percent.

The 300-student school once had passage rates as high as 97 percent.

School officials said recently that they have made several changes aimed at improving State Bar exam passage, including shrinking the student body and ending a controversial program that allowed some students with lower Law School Admission Test results to gain admission.

Arizona Summit officials said that, ultimately, 78 percent of the school's students pass the Bar, although many need to take it more than once.

First-time passage rates, though, are what the legal community watches and are used as a measure of quality when prospective students evaluate schools.

Arizona Summit officials told the board that they are confident that the school's first-time Bar passage rate will continue to improve.

About Arizona Summit Law School

Arizona Summit is one of three law schools in the state, along with Arizona State University and University of Arizona.